Learn how to describe your country!
Where do you come from?
You probably hear this question all the time, especially if you live in a place where you are a foreigner. What do you answer then?
- I come from Malawi.
- I’m from Malawi. What about you? Where are you from?
- I’m originally from Malawi, the warm heart of Africa.
- I hail from a small, landlocked country in southeast Africa. (More formal and descriptive)
- I was born in Malawi.
- I am Malawian.
As you can see, there are many different ways of tackling this question.
Types of Countries
How your country is governed can help you describe it.
Is your country a democratic republic or is it a dictatorship? Is there a parliament? Are leaders elected or not?
Here are some forms of government you might wish to get acquainted with.
Republic: A country that is usually governed by elected representatives and a president. The supreme power is held by the people.
Constitutional Monarchy: The country is ruled by a king or queen. However the powers are limited by a set of laws and principles.
Absolute Monarchy: A system of government that is led by a king and a queen who exercise full power over their subjects.
Emirate: It is a kingdom or country that is ruled by an Arab monarch who is called an emir.
Federation: It is when a group of states with different backgrounds form a country.
Theocracy: This is a country that is governed by religious leaders.
Sample Description
Malawi, the country where I come from, is a republic. Parliamentary and presidential elections are held every five years. Any one who is at least 18 years old can vote for a leader of his or her choice. It is a multi-party system whereby several political parties are allowed to prosper. In the past, we used to have a one-party state ruled by a single president.
Your Turn: What type of government system do you have in your country?
Location
Where is your country located? Is it in the northern hemisphere or southern hemisphere? Is your country an island in the middle of an ocean or sea?
You could also talk about the countries that border yours.
Sample Description
Poland, the country where I live, is located in central Europe. It is bordered by Belarus and Ukraine to the east, Germany to the west, Slovakia and Czech Republic to the south and Lithuania and the Baltic Sea to the north. Poland is in the northern hemisphere since it lies above the Equator.
Cities
You can equally talk about the major cities that are found in your country. Are they famous for something worldwide? Paris, in France, is admired by many tourists for its cultural heritage. What makes your cities stand out or not?
Sample Description
I live in Warsaw, the largest and capital city of Poland. It is well-known for its UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Old Town. This metropolis is considered as a major tourist destination in Europe and has a significant role to play in international politics and economics. It is part of the European Union but does not use its currency, the Euro.
Landmarks, Adjectives and Numbers
We have dealt with these definitions previously (check Monday’s, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s lessons). Be as descriptive as possible when tackling these points.
Landmarks
These can be mountains, water bodies such as lakes, rivers and seas. A distinctive monument or building can also act as a landmark.
Adjectives
There are a variety of Adjectives out there. Here are a few more examples: well-developed, progressive, democratic, peace-loving, regressive, developing, wealthy, affluent, prosperous, impoverished, failed, etc.
Below are some Adjectives to describe the African continent. Some of them can be used for countries as well. Remember, Africa is not a country!
Numbers
When I was young, we used to have less than ten traffic lights in the whole country! I was thus surprised to see so many in Paris the first time I went there. It was mind-blowing.
What are the surprising or staggering figures in your country? The size of the population? The number of unemployed people? The birth rate? What about the density of doctors?
You can really do something interesting here. Ask friends or older people and they might have some stories to tell you that can be quite revealing about your country.
Good luck!
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Further Exploration: Describe your country
Download PDF Files
- Describe Your Country, Learn English With Africa, May 2019, PDF
- Flags of African Countries, Learn English With Africa, May 2019, PDF
- African Countries and their Capital Cities, Learn English With Africa, May 2019, PDF
Read:
- English Vocabulary (Describing Places): Lesson 1-Where do You Live?
- English Vocabulary (Describing Places): Lesson 2-What is Your House Like?
- English Vocabulary: Lesson 3-Describe Your City or Village
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About the Author
Thandi Ngwira Gatignol is the founder of Learn English With Africa. She was born on June 11th, 1981 in Blantyre, Malawi. When she was 19, she left her country of birth for France. She currently lives with her two daughters and husband in Poland.
Thandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in English studies obtained at the Université Paris X Nanterre in France and a Certificate in Journalism from Malawi. She has taught English as a French Ministry of Education certified teacher both in France and in Poland. She speaks six languages fluently, including French, Polish and Italian. She is now learning Kiswahili, German and Spanish. Salt No More is her debut novel and you can find her other books here on the website or on Amazon.
Course Title: English Vocabulary: Lesson 4-Describe Your Country (with solid examples!) © Learn English With Africa, February 2021
